Is A Fitbit Worth It?

Introduction

What is a Fitbit? A Fitbit is a physical activity tracker that is designed to help people become more active, eat a more well-rounded diet, sleep better and overall, turn you into a better and healthier human being.

Fitbit was introduced in 2008 by co-founders Eric Friedman and James Park in San Fransisco.

Fitbit is one of the Top Rated fitness bands out there and that’s for good reason. Its fitness trackers are very easy to wear, easy to function and navigate, and has great apps to back them up.

The prices for Fitbit’s are also very affordable and tries to cater to everyone looking to buy their first fitness tracker with prices ranging from $59.99 up to $249.

How Fitbit’s Work

Fitbit trackers work wirelessly and are worn by users to measure personal health data that they can view on the fitness tracker itself if it has a screen or by your phone or computer through the Fitbit app.

Some examples of health data are things like, the number of steps a person walks throughout their day, the quality of their sleep, the number of floors they climb throughout their day, and the amount of calories burned.

Fitbit’s are powered by 3-axis accelerometer which senses body movements and is able to measure various parameters based on these events.

The 3-axis accelerometer is a device that turns movement (acceleration) of a body into digital measurements (data) when attached to the body. The 3-axis implementation allows the accelerometer to measure motion in any way that you move, making its activity measurements more precise than older, single-axis pedometers.

How does the Fitbit count my steps?

The way the Fitbit’s count your steps are from a fine tuned algorithm. What is an algorithm you may ask? Well an algorithm is designed to look for motion patterns most indicative in people. For a motion pattern to be recognized as a step, the motion pattern has to be large.

The algorithm uses this setting as a threshold. If a motion and its subsequent acceleration measurement are large enough and meet the data threshold, the motion will be counted as a step. If the threshold isn’t met, the algorithm will not count the motion as a step.

If you are just sitting down and you sway your arms hard enough, the acceleration measurement may be a large enough threshold for the algorithm to count as steps and there can be over counts happening. There can also be under counts (meaning not meeting the required acceleration threshold). Some examples include walking on very soft surfaces such as a fluffy carpet or soft grass.

Having fun with Fitbit challenges

If you are the type of person that likes a good challenge and doesn’t like to lose, then Fitbit has challenges for you and your friends to get into.

Some challenges that you can get into are the Daily Showdown, Weekend Warrior, and Workweek Hustle.

The Daily Showdown is a challenge on who can get the most steps in a day. I had friends that actually went walking after we got off from work or on runs with their dogs just so they can try and win the challenge. When you win a challenge, you get a medal and the bragging rights. The medal is only on the App itself so you can’t wear it around your neck sadly.

The Weekend Warrior is who can get the most steps over the weekend. The challengers have 48 hours beginning at midnight on Saturday to see who has the most steps. I used to have a lazy Sunday but when I get called out on a challenge, I go on hikes and runs just to win. That benefits me because it keeps me in shape and active.

The Workweek Hustle is who can get the most steps Monday-Friday. This challenge gives you a little cushion to catch up, just be sure not to fall too far behind. I have some friends that sync up their Fitbit’s only during the night so sometimes you don’t know what their step count is. This is my favorite challenge because it keeps me motivated thorough the week to keep moving.

Now the big question, is getting a Fitbit really worth it?

Personally I think the Fitbit products are well worth the money. It’s really easy to set up and you are able to join Fitbit challenges no matter what type of Fitbit you get.

It’s also one of the most accurate fitness trackers I’ve used and I’ve used plenty. The great thing that I love the most is it helps me achieve my daily goals so I can stay in shape and lose weight when ever I need too.

If you really think about it, buying a Fitbit is a one time investment that will forever guide you to having a more healthier lifestyle and track all your fitness needs. It also has different types and styles to fit all your needs and budget.

One of my favorite Fitbit is the Blaze, I like it because it has a nice display and it isn’t to pricey on the pockets.

I hope this article was of some help guiding you to your decision if Fitbit’s are really worth the money. If you have any questions or comments or if you could leave me some feedback, I would really appreciate it. Let me know what your favorite Fitbit is below? Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you have a great day/night.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Hi Jaime. I am looking to get a Fitbit or product similar. What would be your suggestion for tracking Gym workouts as opposed to just maybe running or steps for instance. What do you think of other products such as Garmin etc?

Hey Dan the Fitbit Blaze is pretty good with tracking your workouts and my take on the Garmin fitness trackers, they’re good just kind of pricey on the pocket. Just remember though, it’s a one time investment so if you want, you can look into other high end trackers. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask.

Hey Austin how you doing? Fitbit’s have been around for a while now and I just started using them about a year ago. I really love how easy it is to control and navigate and it really does help me stay fit. I found out about through a friend who was telling me about how it could keep track of my runs and calories burned so I decided to give it a try and been using it then. If you have any questions at all please don’t hesitate to ask and I will get back to you. Have a great one.